Day Thirty-nine = Down to the River (40 Day Fasting Challenge)

Day Thirty-nine = Down to the River

“And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.” (1 Kings 18:40)

Often as Christians we hear references to the living water. Jesus while speaking to the woman at the well said that she could drink from the rivers of the Living water and never be thirsty again. (See John 4) The living water that Jesus was speaking of was Himself. He continued later in the same chapter to explain to her that should she choose to forsake the water of the world and choose the living water that she would be a true worshipper.

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”

The woman at the well was a blatant sinner. She had according to her own admission not one but 5 husbands revealing that she was a promiscuous woman. When she came to the well that day seeking physical water Jesus knew she was internally seeking spiritual water, so he took the opportunity to explain salvation to her. Water in the physical world is a required item. The human body cannot live without it. Jesus equated a relationship with Himself to the human necessity for water. In other words without the living water or salvation, we cannot live eternal life; in the same sense that without water in the physical world, our bodies cannot maintain life. After explaining salvation Jesus further revealed to the woman that by putting to death false worship or love of the world, she would then be able to participate in true worship with our Heavenly Father.

Looking back into the account of Elijah, it seems a little harsh that immediately following Gods revealing fire consuming the altar Elijah called for all of the Prophets of Baal to be brought down to the river and be killed. The reason this seemingly gruesome act was necessary was that after the revelation of the one true God had come, all of the false worship had to be completely forsaken. The false worship, which was performed by the false prophets; had to be brought to the “water” (remembering that living water is referencing God) which in this case was the river Kishon and completely removed from the lives of the Israelites. The woman at the well brought with her all her past transgressions when she met Jesus, the living water; at the well. Elijah brought the prophets of Baal, which represented Israel’s broken covenant to the water (river Kishon) to face its death.

Search your hearts today. Is there any false worship that needs to be brought to the living water and killed? In doing this we will become true worshippers.